


Hand in Hand

by words_to_escape_by



Series: Piece by Piece Saga [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Dancing!, F/M, Freeform, Gaster Needs a Hug, Multi, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader-Insert, and all the AU characters you know and love, but likely also some plot because i have no self control, figurative emotional bonds, literal emotional bonds, many emotions, many feels, part 2 of piece by piece, probably many cliffhangers, reader is female, significantly more fluff, will crossover w/ Why Can't You Just, will feature AU's because we can't get enough of them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-10-06 23:27:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10346982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/words_to_escape_by/pseuds/words_to_escape_by
Summary: Part 2 of Piece by Piece- A W.D. GasterxReader fic.You've made it, alive and well, back to the real world. Gaster is whole and beautiful and.... you love each other.....Now what do you do?Will feature AU's, unexpected plot, fluff, and eventual *sexytimes* that will be labeled.





	1. Gone Fishing

 

 

 

 

"..... do you have.... any eights?"

 

 

 

 

"Go get yourself a fish, Gast. No eights here."

 

 

He smirked at your quip, and his hand reached out and picked up a card from the pile.

 

 

"Do you have any queens?"

 

He frowned, and handed you two cards.

 

 

You gleefully took them, and slid them in your own collection.

"Why thank you, sir, for your generous donation. But... do you have any twos?"

 

He smiled patiently. "Go fish."

 

"Dang." You picked up a card. It was a three, which was zero percent helpful right now.

 

 

You had been spending most of your evening today teaching Gaster how to play card games. You had done Spit, War, and were now onto the classic of Go Fish.

 

 

It was now later in the day after waking, and although your body hurt, you were feeling much better. You could even sit upright, propped against your pillow. Gaster was sitting on the bed in front of you, long legs tucked in a cross-legged position that nearly made up the width of your bed.

 

Gaster was... the best bedside nurse anyone could ask for. He had offered to make dinner, but you wouldn't hear of it, given that you still had that amazing quiche still in your fridge. It was so good you had nearly died and went to heaven, you joked. Gaster did not take the joke well, to say the least.

 

Not only was he your volunteer cook- he helped you get your embarrassingly slow body to the bathroom, always was there to keep you company, helped you change clothes, and was just... delightful.

 

... And you liked just having time between the two of you. As two, separate, whole beings.

 

After all of the chaos and near-death experience of the alternate universes, you both enjoyed this welcome, slow paced stream of time.

 

You had managed to call off work for the rest of the week, saying you were injured and unable to come in. It was most definitely true- and you just couldn't imagine going back to work so quickly after this.

 

You were jarred from your mental recap when Gaster spoke.

 

 

"Do you have any threes?" Gaster's gaze met yours. He smiled.

 

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you can still read my mind...." You muttered as you pulled your fresh new three out of your hand and over to him. He happily accepted it, radiating small pleasure.

 

He seemed to focus on your face for a moment, and brought his hand to his chin, as if studying you.

 

Your eyes met his gaze, and you could feel him curiously reach out with his mind, feeling your emotions. You looked right back at him, as if in a staring contest. You wanted to know his hand too.

 

His _hand_.

 

HA. HAHA.

 

You broke eye contact as you snorted into a fit of laughter. It wasn't as painful anymore, but still hurt a bit.

 

 

"What is it?" Gaster seemed surprised at your sudden change.

 

"D'you know what people call the group of cards that you're holding?" You asked, still highly amused.

 

He slowly shook his head.

 

"It's called... a hand."

 

He looked surprised at this.

 

"So... you hold a hand... with your hand..." He looked confused. "Who came up with this term?"

 

"A genius who ran out of words in the English language. So, technically, Gast, you currently have three hands." You were amused by this, even if it was stupid.

 

He looked down at his two hands, and the one holding cards, and shook his head and sighed. He then smiled, his eyebrows contorting into a strange expression.

 

"I... have to... _hand_ it to humans... they do come up with confusing terminologies...."

 

Your eyes went wide. You couldn't believe your ears.

"Did you .... just..."

 

He smiled sheepishly. "Yes, I made a pun."

 

"AhahahAHAHAHA!" You burst into a fit of laughter, and doubled over a bit, barely holding onto your cards. You were in pain, but it was oh-so-worth it.

 

"Are you alright?" Worry emanated from him.

 

Your laugh died down a bit and you looked up at him, tears in your eyes from both pain and laugher.

"Y... yeah, ha... I'm good." You exhaled. "Why?"

 

He looked quite concerned, and felt like it too.

"It seems I can feel when you are in pain."

 

You raised your eyebrows. "Is this a new discovery?"

 

He shook his head.

 

"What?" You gaped. "You could feel my pain this whole time, and you didn't say anything? God, I didn't want you to...."

He shouldn't have had to feel your pain.... that wasn't something you would wish on him, after everything he did....

 

He shook his head. "I only know when you are in pain- it is like an emotional signal, but I do not feel it." His soul was sad, though. "I do not want to cause you pain, though, I apologize for the joke."

 

You put your cards down on the bed, face down. This was serious business.

"Gaster. Your jokes heal me more than hurt me- don't apologize."

 

He too placed his cards down on the bed, smiling softly, still concerned, but smiling softly.

"I am glad you think so."

 

You smiled back at him, a kind of smirkish grin.

"You know, your jokes are rare enough as they are, you could help me heal faster by making more puns."

 

He gave you a skeptical look. "I highly doubt that puns will make you heal more quickly, but if you insist, I could go ac- _card_ -ing to your wishes."

 

You cracked up again.

"You know," you spoke, "I think that talking like this is highly o- _fish_ -ient." You pointed to your deck of cards.

 

He too began laughing, in his deep voice. His hand touched the bed beside him.

"We might even be getting _bed_ -ter at making jokes like this!"

 

You both laughed harder, and the pain in your body was merely secondary to the doubled emotional joy you were experiencing.

 

_*knock knock*_

 

And suddenly, there was a knock on your apartment door. Both you and Gaster stopped laughing to glance out your bedroom door.

 

"That must be Sans...." Gaster said.

 

"Right. Go let that fool in- I want to see what puns he has in his arsenal. The three of us can laugh it up all night, then."

 

He sighed. "If I am correct, he likes to make knock knock jokes every time he enters someone's home... so we are in for a treat."

 

 

You grinned. "I am so prepared."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE
> 
> Sorry I've been MIA, life's been kicking into hard mode.
> 
> But I'm back, with fluff and all! Never wrote sheer fluff before, we will see how it goes. Not that this will be, by any means.  
> And you absolutely know I am going to get something in here to spice up the plot. Can't have a normal, workaday reader, can we?  
> Might be some good stuff, might be some bad.... keep it fun!
> 
> Gotta get in on those AU's, too. Please expect resolution to Piece by Piece's drastic end.
> 
> Anyways, it is lovely to be back! I hope you all are having a fantastic week!


	2. Soulmates....?

 

 

 

"knock knock."

 

You heard a distant sigh from outside your bedroom. You stifled a laugh.

"Who's there?" Gaster seemed unamused.

 

"a broken pencil."

 

You heard Gaster shuffle.

"A broken pencil who?"

 

"ah... never mind, the joke's _pointless_..."

 

You burst into slightly painful giggles as Gaster sighs again and you hear him open the door.

"It is good to see you again, Sans. Well, in person." You could hear their voices grow louder as Gaster led him to your room.

 

"same to you, g. is _____ doing all _right_? since i haven't seen her since you _left_?"

 

You cracked up again, and saw Gaster come into your room, followed by the short skeleton in his hoodie.

 

"Oh, I'm doing better than _all right_ , Sans. But I gotta tell you, my eyes, now, they're all _white_." You pointed to them.

 

The two of them walked up to you. Gaster was smiling sweetly down, laughing a bit, and Sans was grinning and looking into your eyes.

 

"wowza, you sure are _white_ about that, pal." He sat on the bed beside you, and Gaster went over and picked up a spare chair from the side of your room, and placed it on the ground beside you, near Sans. He sat down.

 

You smiled gleefully.

"It's good to see you again, Sans. I'm glad we're all back in one piece."

 

Sans nodded. "me too, kid. a lot happened since we last saw each other. i already told g whenever we got back... but i assume he's told you everything by now, so..."

 

You looked to Gaster, who felt nervous at the idea. He hadn't told you anything. The two of you had been goofing around for the duration of your time awake, not dwelling on.... much of anything serious.

 

Sans caught the look on both of your faces. Then he also noticed the cards strewn about on your nightstand.

"... so he didn't tell you?"

 

"Nah." You shrugged. "We've been hanging out and playing card games. And a lot of puns."

 

"i see."

 

Gaster spoke up.

"We never... brought it up that much. I didn't think to tell her yet, when she was just recovering...."

 

You considered this.

"I ... kinda do want to know what happened though."

 

Both of their faces grew a bit sad. You could feel Gaster's spirit dampen a bit.

 

 

"Sorry, I know it's.... painful...."

 

Sans looked up, and back and forth between the two of you. His eyesocket angled in a query.

"can you two still...."

 

"We can still feel each other's emotional states, surprisingly." Gaster smiled while speaking.

 

Sans looked surprised.

"that is pretty cool. so, in a way, the both of you are kind of still stuck together, huh?"

 

You smiled, and you could feel Gaster beam the same emotion.

"Yeah...." You said the word nonchalantly, and nodded your head. You weren't sure if you should continue.

 

Instead, Sans continued.

"well, if you want the full story, i can tell you."

 

You nodded again. "I do. Go ahead."

 

Sans adjusted himself on the bed.

"well, then, you better get comfy."

 

You scrunched yourself up, with your spine re-angled against the pillows. Gaster too re-situated himself in the chair. He seemed unnerved to hear the story again.

 

Sans cleared his non-existent throat.

 

 

 

"well, if i am to start, i should go back to when we were separated, when error kidnapped me from the second alternate universe.

 

after he took me, we ended up in some strange white place he called the 'anti-void'. he mostly said some strange garbage about errors and mistakes and how useless your journey was- which was pretty freakin' weird that he knew so much- but i did learn a lot.

 

he took me, and as you saw, a whole lot of other versions of me, to combat the thing that... well, the thing that you met."

 

 

You tried your best not to conjure up the image of that .... demonic thing.... towering over you , knife in hand, looking horribly much like Gaster. But it didn't work. You shivered a bit.

 

 

Sans noticed, and his expression saddened in concern.

 

"well, generally, you saw us fight it. i knew what it was- the ghost of a sick, twisted human soul of a child that died long ago. it had found and bonded with a fragment of gaster, and so... it was possessed with a terrible amount of determination, coupled with gasters magic and his own determination. it was a terrible combo."

 

You nodded, feeling a bit cold.

 

"you'll be delighted to know-" Sans smiled, "-that when you gave gaster his last fragment, it was, for some reason, rejected by the twisted human soul. it actually caught it on fire, before it tore g's out."

 

 

You looked to Gaster, eyes and mouth wide. He looked a bit... embarrassed.

 

That last fragment- it .... it was love, you both knew.

 

You let a knowing smile creep over your face in delight, knowing that something as sappy as Gaster's love ended up destroying that evil demon.

 

"uh..."

 

You looked back to Sans, still smiling. He eyed you both, a bit confused.

 

".... is there something i should know...?"

 

You stared at him, trying to hold in your smile, but it wasn't working much.

 

"... cause g didn't tell me his end of the story, so i don't really know why the fragment was rejected so horribly...."

 

 

Gaster shrugged, still blushing a bit.

"Maybe the last fragment was just too much for the human's soul to take."

 

You snorted. "I'll say."

 

Gaster looked to you in flustered frustration, as if you'd let something slide.

 

"......"

Sans eyed you two in confusion.

".... having never seen the two of you interact before, i gotta say, you are quite the confusing pair..."

 

You snickered. "Yeah, right? It's almost like we were stuck together in the same body for a few weeks!"

 

Gaster seemed amused as well, perhaps contaminated by a bit of your humor. You could feel him rise out of his nervousness.

"It does feel like that, doesn't it?" Gaster chuckled lightly.

 

"Yeah!" You laughed, and laughed harder when you saw San's incredulous gaze of 'are you two serious?'.

 

You snorted. "It's almost like we're soulma...."

 

 

 

 

 

Your eyes went wide at the same time as everyone else. You snapped your mouth shut.

 

However, it was just you and Gaster who blushed at that. Sans just stared.

 

"Erm... ahem...." You cleared your throat.

 

Gaster coughed.

 

Both of you were blushing and glancing at inanimate objects around your bedroom.

 

 

 

 

"... are you two...."

 

You and Gaster both looked to Sans.

 

".... are you....?" Sans raised his eyesocket, his expression changing to one of high amusement.

 

"Are we what?" Gaster spoke quietly.

 

Sans raised his eyebrow incredibly high, with a wide, shit-eating grin.

".... soulmates?"

 

 

" **HHGGHH** HMM _Mmmmm_..." You loudly cough-hummed. "Good question, yes, I do say.... mmmm...." You blathered out words to form incoherent phrases.

 

Sans looks between the two of you, who are both fidgeting. He began to laugh quietly, his eyes closing.

 

Gaster and you looked at each other in sheepish surprise.

 

"heh, g, your last fragment, you remember where it was in your soul, right?"

 

Gaster nodded. "The bottom."

 

Sans opened one eye, grinning madly.

"if i had to guess at what was rejected by the kid, then i guess.... you really do love _____ _from the bottom of your heart?_..."

 

 

Gaster's eye went wide, and he blushed harder. "Oh."

 

You immediately grabbed a pillow from beside you, shoved it over your face, and scream-laughed into it.

 

All these EMOTIONS you just COULDN'T EVEN right now, combined with Gaster's own and Sans' puns and AUGH-

 

You breathed into the pillow for a while, continuing to hear Sans softly laugh and feel Gaster quietly freak out (in a kind of cute way).

 

 

 

Then, once you regained some control you let the pillow drop to your lap.

 

"Alright."

 

Sans and Gaster looked to you. You looked to Sans with a straight, albeit blushing face.

 

"So, after the soul was rejected and the creepy kid-thing caught on fire, what happened? I had collapsed, right?"

 

Both of them alerted back to business story-telling mode. You could feel that Gaster was pleased with this change of thoughts.

 

"after the kid was on fire, the hands that trapped me... and the rest of the sanses disappeared. and we made short work of them."

 

You weren't sure how to feel about that.

 

"and then, where g's soul fell, he appeared."

 

You looked to Gaster, who was sitting on your bed.

You took a moment to remember that he was now real, physical, and that he had only been in your head for all the time you knew him before today.

And that he was just... chilling on your bed, in your bedroom.

 

Gaster spoke now. He suddenly had a pained look on his face.

"And when I woke, I saw you... and... I took you and Sans out of that universe as fast as possible."

 

Sans also looked sad at the memory.

 

You leaned forward, nervous with another thought.

"But... what happened to the other Sanses?"

 

"we don't know."

 

You gripped the lap-pillow a bit harder.

"Augh, we don't?" You fell back against your pillow, and stared at the ceiling.

"I want to know what happened to them. I mean, sure, you killed the thing, but.... I hope they all got back safe."

 

You remembered something.

"Aw HECK I promised Space-Papyrus I would get his brother back!" You rocked forward again, angry. "I need to know if he got back...."

 

"Most definitely, not before you are healed," Gaster calmly spoke. "Besides, I believe whoever got them there, even if it was Error, was capable of returning them."

 

You nodded, somberly. You hoped so too.

 

 

"... about the machine, though..."

 

Both you and Gaster gave Sans your full attention.

 

"... something interesting i discovered once we got back- it saved the coordinates of the universes we went to, at the times it was last in them. well, 'cept for the last one. it's save code keeps retracing as 'error'."

 

Both you and Gaster gasped.

 

"You mean we have a way to go back?" You grew excited.

You could make sure that Space Sans got home safe, and Dancing Sans, and the swapped Papyrus, and... well, you guessed the red Sans... but you really, really didn't want to go back to his universe.

 

Sans nodded. "probably. though g's right, you need to get better before you think of taking another trip."

 

You nodded, and waved with your hand.

"Yeah, yeah, I know- this guy-" you gesture to Gaster, "- has been worrying enough about me for the both of us."

 

Gaster frowned at that. "Of course I would be concerned! You nearly died!"

 

You grinned, and held up your index finger.

"But I refused!"

 

Gaster's frown changed to a smirk-ish smile. "That you did. With some medical attention."

 

You leaned closer to him.

"And oh, do I _enjoy_ that attention..."

 

He leaned back a bit, and averted his eyes into the distance, blushing a bit.

"I..." He couldn't think of anything.

 

"what kind of 'attention' is this?" Sans sounded like something was implied that he wasn't getting.

 

 

OH. You hoped he wasn't thinking-

 

" _Imadeherquiche_ -" Gaster sputtered in one barely-comprehensible word.

 

Sans burst into laughter. You laughed nervously.

"looks like you two are really _pie_ -ning after each other."

 

You weren't sure whether to die of embarrassment or laugh, so you smothered your face in the pillow again. Gaster felt the same.

 

You sank back into your pillow pile, laughing nervously into the fluff.

 

 

 

What a life you had ahead of you.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel the need to say WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE again simply because of how long it's been since I've posted.
> 
> Forgive me, my friends. 
> 
> But here we are, back again, with embarrassing fluff times and puns in your bedroom!  
> And good news, the door saved the coordinates! Maybe another trip or two (or a hundred) is in your future?
> 
> And what exciting baked goods will Gaster make for your shut-in self?
> 
> Stay tuned! (But not too tuned because I got hella work to get done in real life!)


	3. Blink, and You'll Miss It

 

 

 

The sunlight hit your eyes, and you groaned and rolled over in frustration, pulling the covers with you.

 

 

You blinked open your eyes. Your bedroom came into dull focus.

 

 

You blinked absently at your alarm clock, which read 9:50 AM.

 

It was Saturday.... you deserved to sleep in this much, you guessed.

 

 

You exhaled, and rolled onto you back. You stretched all your muscles in a euphoric tense, making a kind of soft screaming noise in delight. You then relaxed, and shuffled around until most of the covers were off of you.

 

You sat up, your hair plastered in every possible wrong direction.

 

 

Yawning, you flipped back the rest of the covers, and swung your feet out onto the ground.

 

Today... sure was a day.

 

What were you planning on doing today?

Hmmm.....

 

You could either stay at home all day and veg out, or go and do something...

 

Going outside sounded good. It was supposed to be nice weather today, after all. Gaster would probably be up for doing something other than being your shut-in nurse, too.

 

But first- you felt a pang in your stomach- it was time to eat.

 

You could hear some clattering from outside your bedroom, too. It sounded like someone else was awake.

 

You grinned, and pulled yourself up, and started padding to the door in your pajamas.

 

 

You turned the door handle, and stepped through, closing your eyes in a sleepy yawn.

 

You opened your eyes.

But this was not your apartment.

 

 

 

You could feel your feet on the hard wood of the apartment's floor, but what you saw...

 

 

It was nothing but white.

 

 

 

You spun, looking back in your door, and as your feet came down, they no longer had the sensation of your apartment's wood.

 

 

Behind you was also white. Nothing.

 

 

 

Above you, nothing.

 

 

Below you- a feeling of room temperature, hard nothing, which was also white.

 

 

You spun, breathing and heart rate ever-quickening in your panic.

 

 

You spoke.

 

 

"Hello?!"

 

Your voice echoed across the endless space.

But nobody came. No response.

 

 

You looked at your body- you were just in your PJ's, like nothing was wrong. But you were nowhere.

 

 

 

So you stared, into the white space, hoping something would happen.

 

 

And something did.

 

 

Before you, a black shadow began to pool, about at eye hight. You had no concept of its size, or its distance, but it was growing. You stepped backwards a bit.

 

 

"H-hello....?" You muttered.

 

 

 

The shadow grew larger, and said nothing. It seemed like it was going to touch you soon.

 

 

"H... hey now..." You stepped back. But "back" meant nothing here.

 

 

It grew, and grew, and overtook your entire vision.

 

 

You spun, but all you saw was now black.

 

And you blinked.

 

 

And when you opened your eyes, stuff was suddenly there.

 

 

 

You were looking at a wooden cabinet door, and your hand was outstretched. You didn't remember stretching it out.

 

 

You turned your head, and you appeared to be in a new kitchen, of a small apartment. The countertops and furnishings were nice and fancy looking, and the sun was shining on everything, making it seem to radiate. Your hand was hovering over a coffee mug, but was unmoving.

 

"Are you OK....?"

 

You heard a low voice.

 

You looked over from where it came to see Gaster sitting on a futon in what appeared to be this apartment's living room.

 

You stared at him. He seemed.... different.

Wait, he was. His scars were flipped, and his left eye was smashed rather than his right, and he was wearing a bright orange vest. His posture was child-like- he was sitting cross legged on the futon, and holding his feet as he hunched over.

 

 

 

All you could manage to say was "What."

 

 

He cocked his head like a confused puppy.

 

 

You also realized, to your horror, that you couldn't feel his emotions.

 

 

"What's wrong? You look like you're sick." His voice was much more full of inflection than normal, and he slurred his words slightly as if he was speaking casually.

 

 

"I have no idea what's going on...." You leaned back from the countertop, bringing your hand away from the cabinet and close to your chest nervously.

 

 

He smiled gleefully, and closed his eyes. "You were making yourself some tea, I believe."

 

"Tea?" You looked around. There was a teabag packet lying on the counter.

"This isn't even my apartment...." You looked around. Then you looked at him, who was cocking his head again, unsmiling.

 

 

"Are you Wing Dings Gaster?" Your eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

 

 

He slowly nodded.

 

 

"I just woke up, and then I opened my door, and was in a room of white nothing, and then a shadow...." You blinked, and put your hand to your head.

 

 

He rose from the futon, and came over to you. He seemed a bit shorter, or maybe you were taller, you couldn't tell.

 

He stood in front of you and crossed his arms, smirking.

 

 

"Must have been some crazy dream, huh? You seem pretty shaken up. You look like you need a hug."

 

 

Without any hesitation, he reached his arms around you, and you kind of just balled your arms up against your chest, your eyes going wide.

 

 

"WAITwaitwaitwaitwaitwait-" you blurted out, and he un-huged you with a look of sheer confusion.

 

"Everything's wrong. This isn't my apartment, and you... look entirely different."

 

 

 

His one good eye opened wide.

 

"This must be some sort of dream...." You step back, eyeing him carefully.

 

He looks a bit hurt, and sad. It makes you sad to see this, but also you are still in 100% panic mode so you shut it out.

 

And then you notice the shadow behind him.

 

It is just like the shadow from the whiteness.

 

It is growing, a small ball of dark, just beside his back.

 

 

You reach out and grab him, and pull him by the vest collar beside you. He has no choice but to go along with it, and he is surprisingly light.

 

 

"Whoa, what's the matter?" He mutters, as your arms jitter as you hold him to the side. His gaze looks to where you are looking at the shadow, still growing.

"Is there something you see?"

 

 

You point with one hand.

"Don't TELL ME you don't see that shadow ball thing."

 

 

"... I don't."

 

 

The shadow was now about 3 feet in diameter.

 

"iiT'S GROWING GAST, it's just like in the white place.... it's gonna-"

 

"I don't see anything. Are you OK?" He faces you with concern again.

 

The shadow grew, faster and faster.

 

You look him in the eyes, face panicked.

"Gaster, it's gonna do something, and I don't even know-"

 

 

 

He was enveloped in darkness. Everything was.

 

 

 

"-what's-"

 

 

You blinked, and your eyes registered a new scene.

 

 

Flowers.

 

 

"-happening..." Your sentence ended when you realized he was gone.

 

 

You looked around. You were now in a new bodily position, your hands clutching a bunch of flowers.

 

 

All around you was a meadow, with some figures moving around in the distance.

 

 

You recognized some.

A tiny one, with short brown hair and a striped sweater hopped up to you, flowers in their hair.

 

Frisk signed to you.

"So? How do I look?" They smiled and twirled.

 

You couldn't help but smile at this.

This had to be a dream, you now knew. It was strange, you remembered your dreams from before waking up in your bed, but... maybe you dreamt having the dreams?

 

"You look lovely, kiddo!" You beamed at them.

They giggled, and ran off into the distance, bounding towards a figure you recognized as Papyrus, who was admiring some sunflowers which were taller than him.

 

You sighed, and suddenly sat down in the field of flowers.

 

They smelled really nice.

 

 

Hm... you never remembered having the ability to smell in dreams before- even in the weird Gaster-induced ones.

 

 

You peered out at the blue sky, which had white, puffy clouds drifting through it.

 

 

"What's next in store, oh crazy-ass dream?" You pondered aloud, admiring the collection of flowers in your hands.

 

 

As if in response, a voice spoke behind you.

 

 

"You think you're dreaming?"

 

 

You turned your head, calmly, to see red eyes.

 

 

Your hands dropped your flowers.

 

 

Red eyes, framed by chopped brown hair, rosy cheeks, and a bright, wide smile that reminded you far too much of your deepest horrors.

 

 

You screamed.

 

 

They shrank back, looking afraid.

 

"Geez, I didn't mean to scare-"

 

 

" **GET AWAY FROM ME!** " You stumbled to your feet, flowers around you all pummeled to the ground.

 

You started running.

 

The flowers were mowed down by your legs, and you heard shouts behind you.

 

You just had to GET AWAY from that face.

 

It reminded you too much, far too much of the face of that THING that stole Gaster....

 

 

Gaster...

 

You couldn't feel him.

 

It was sickening.

 

What an awful dream.

 

 

You kept running, and the field of flowers seemed endless.

But then there appeared a shadow.

 

In the distance.

 

You stopped running, panting.

 

You watched as it inched larger.

 

 

"Oh HELL." You doubled over, keeping a cautious eye on it. It was growing just like the others, faster and faster.

 

 

"Welp, time to just see what's next on this fun ride...." You huffed, and stood up.

 

 

You watched as the darkness engulfed the horizon, then the flowers, then the ones closer to you, and then you.

 

 

And you blinked...

 

And you were sitting on a stool, at a bar facing out a window, the air smelling distinctly like coffee.

 

 

You saw people and monsters walk by outside. You looked down and saw your favorite coffee drink, half gone. The taste lingered in your mouth suddenly.

 

 

"Mmhm..." You stared into the drink, your heart pounding.

 

"Really? 'Cause I've been thinking, it's all been just too fuckin' fast..."

 

You turn to see the person next to you- a tall, lanky figure dressed in black and red, black cracks crossing down over both cheeks. He looked like a very edgy Gaster.

 

 

You decide to play along.

 

 

"Mmhmm." You stared at him.

 

 

He eyes you, his teeth gritted in a look of annoyance.

 

 

"Is that all you have to say?!" His hand balled into a fist. Beside it was a cup of black coffee.

 

 

You sipped your drink, grinning.

"Maybe." You muttered, right before taking another sip while smiling. He looked like he was easily agitated.

 

 

"AAAAUUGHHHH!" He groaned loudly, and slurped at his drink angrily.

 

 

You noticed several of the patrons in the coffee shop look to the two of you with worried expressions. However, the baristas just looked on nonchalantly, like this was the kind of shit they were used to.

 

You couldn't feel this Gaster either.

 

 

"You know-" You stood up. "I'm gonna go for a walk."

 

 

He looked back at you, surprised. His teeth looked sharp.

 

"Just like that?" He seemed concerned, almost sad.

 

"Uh... yeah." You pushed in your chair.

 

 

"I can come with you." He stood as well, pushing his chair in hurriedly.

 

"Sounds good." You both exited the coffee shop, the bell on the door ringing softly.

 

You turned an arbitrary right and walked along the sidewalk, and he walked to your left.

 

 

"It's funny, you know, I've never smelled or tasted things in a dream before." You mentioned casually.

 

"Where did this come from?" He sounded peeved.

 

"I'm dreaming right now, silly."

 

".... I don't think you are. I'm here too."

 

You look at his face. He looks grumpy, but concerned, his right eye mashed in a disdainful stare into the distance.

 

"None of this world looks familiar to me- even you look different."

 

He glances at you with a look of sheer confusion.

 

"I am so dreaming. I don't even know when, but I'm gonna see a shadow that you're probably won't see, and then it will eat the world, and I'll blink and the dream will conjure up some strange world."

 

He stopped dead in the street.

 

"______. You aren't serious. I've known you for months- this isn't a dream." His face was simultaneously angry and serious.

 

"Says the strange, angry, sharp-toothed dream Gaster whose emotions I can't even feel." You smiled sadly.

 

Hurt flashed across his face.

"______.... why are you ..."

 

A shadow appeared behind him. It was growing quickly.

You frowned.

 

"The shadow's here."

 

He spinned to look at it, and turned back to you.

 

"There's nothing there! What are you even saying right now?!" He seemed very distressed.

 

 

You shrugged. "This sure is one weird dream. Maybe I'll see another kind of you that my mind creates."

 

 

Before the darkness enveloped him, you saw his face change to an incredibly horrified expression.

 

 

And you sighed, and blinked.

 

 

You now were sitting on a sofa, in big house.

 

 

You had your hands on a warm cup, which held hot cocoa.

 

 

"how's the h'choc?"

 

You look over to see Sans sitting on a loveseat near the sofa you are sitting on, also holding some hot chocolate.

 

You smiled, and sipped the drink. It was delicious.

 

"Tasty."

 

Sans smiled. He was wearing his standard blue hoodie and gym shorts, but nothing about this house was familiar.

 

"glad to hear."

 

He too sipped his drink, which was quite the feat, considering he didn't even open his mouth.

 

"i've got a question for yo-" He froze, staring right at you.

 

"What?" You looked down at yourself. Your clothes were ... glitching, switching back and forth between colors, like some bad tv channel.

 

 

"This is new..." You pulled at your clothes, and it continued to switch back and forth, even faster.

 

You looked back up at him, and you realized he was staring not at your clothes, but at your face.

 

His eye sockets were dark.

 

You spoke. "Is everything...."

 

 

Your voice was wrong.

 

 

It sounded like thousands of voices, all speaking at once. Like some horrific demon voice.

 

 

".... what..." You tested your voice again, it still sounding very, very strange.

 

 

You pulled out your phone from your pocket. It too was switching between brand and style in your hand- like a bad channel. Your hand adjusted to grasp it differently every time, within split seconds, and it felt simultaneously right and wrong.

 

 

"Fuck." You spoke in your thousand-voices, and you stood, watching as your arm raised and switched every camera to selfie mode.

 

 

Your face was switching- incomprehensibly fast, between faces.

 

You closed your eyes almost immediately- you couldn't handle looking at yourself.

 

You heard your phone clatter to the ground at many different moments and pitches.

 

Sound itself seemed to fragment.

 

You opened your eyes, and a shadow was in front of you.

 

 

You were almost grateful when it swallowed the world, and you took a moment to enjoy the darkness before you blinked again.

 

 

And before you appeared a pale, outstretched hand. It had a hole in its palm.

 

"Come on!" A deep voice urged you on excitedly. The hand opened wider, it encompassing most of your vision.

 

 

You reached out and took the hand with your own.

 

 

It pulled yours...

 

 

And you fell off the edge of a cliff.

 

 

You were plummeting towards water, hand in hand with Gaster, who was wearing a black tank top and pair of swimming shorts, and grinning gleefully back at you.

 

 

You were screaming in your own normal voice.

 

 

You hardly had time to close your eyes and mouth before you both impacted the water.

 

 

You both unlinked your hands, and you put all your effort into swimming to the surface.

 

 

You burst from the water, coughing and panting, heart beating a million miles an hour.

 

 

Gaster was already there, also breathing heavily. From what you could tell with your water-logged eyes, he looked just like your Gaster.

 

He looked to you, and laughed in his deep voice as you both treaded water.

 

 

"That was very enjoyable, don't you think?"

 

 

Your heart was beating very fast. You had a million things run through your mind, but you suddenly wanted to do one thing in particular.

 

Your arm thrust out and splashed a wave of water at Gaster, and you grinned wildly.

 

He was caught off guard, and shied his face away from most of the water, laughing.

 

He grinned. "Ah, so that's the game you want to play, mm?" Suddenly, you were splashed from behind with a big gush of water that soaked the back of your head.

 

You spun to see a conjured hand dissolve in the water.

 

You spun back, and yelled, "No fair!" and splashed him again, relentlessly, giggling.

 

 

He too splashed back, with his own hands.

 

You both grew closer and closer until you submerged yourself, and then came shooting up out of the water with a two-armed splash that soaked him.

 

 

He held his hands up in mock defense after that, coughing and laughing.

 

 

"I secede! You are victorious!"

 

 

You shouted in triumph, and let yourself sink back into the water a bit, giggling.

 

You saw a shadow creep into the horizon. It grew faster than all the others.

 

 

"Wait, I-"

 

 

It enveloped your vision within the second.

 

 

"... man. That was a good one."

 

 

You let yourself blink, and you were on a carousel horse, going up and down, riding the centrifugal force with circus music playing in the background.

 

 

"wwaaAAAahhhh..." You adjusted yourself to this newfangled velocity mentally, although your body was already well situated for this.

 

"Everything alright, ______?"

 

 

You turned to your left to see Gaster, sitting there, riding another horse on a pole, side-saddle, looking hilariously oversized on the tiny horse.

 

 

You cracked up, holding your hand to your mouth, trying to contain it.

 

 

"Haha-yep, everythi-hing's fi-hine..." you half-laughed.

 

 

His eyebrow raised in amusement.

 

"Is something funny?"

 

 

You nodded. "That ha-horse is-s too smallllll..." You could barely speak, and burst into a fit of laughter.

 

 

You looked to see his expression, and he looked amused himself as he admired his tiny steed.

 

 

But you saw the shadow behind him.

 

 

You laughter immediately ended, and you frowned at it.

 

 

 

Before you knew it, the world went dark, and the music ended.

 

"Mmmm..." You spoke to yourself in the darkness, questioning this strange hyper-dream.

 

 

You allowed yourself to blink, and once again, a new sight and sensation greeted you.

 

 

You were dancing in a waltz, looking up at Gaster's smiling beautiful face, which was glowing white.

 

 

You also were blushing. Great.

 

 

You didn't even know how you were managing to dance, but you were. It was going well.

 

 

You didn't want to look to see if there was anyone else around- you would probably freak out if so.

 

 

But Gaster was well-dressed. He had on a tuxedo.

 

 

Why did he have on a tuxedo? You didn't know.

 

 

You had on a dress.

 

 

A white, elegant dress.

 

 

WHAT.

 

 

 

 

 

Your mind raced a mile a minute as you asked the question.

Why am I daNCING IN **A WEDDING DRESS**.

 

 

 

You then closed your eyes, shut your mouth, and screamed. Your body stopped moving.

 

 

And when you opened your eyes after an unknown period of time, you were in darkness.

 

 

 

"Come ON HERE JUST GIVEMEAMOMENTTOJUSTFREAKING-"

 

You accidentally blink mid-rant.

 

 

 

And you are walking through Waterfall, holding an umbrella, the rain(?) gently pouring down onto it with soft sounds. Your shoes splashed in puddles, but your feet were dry.

 

 

 

This time, you were alone. You continued walking because you didn't know what else to do.

 

 

 

There was a grey door in the wall of the cave, suddenly.

 

 

You reached for the knob curiously....

 

 

And the knob became shadow.

 

 

And everything went dark again.

 

 

 

You pried your eyes open, forcing them to not blink.

 

 

You looked around as much as you could in the darkness. You didn't see anything.

 

 

Except one light-

 

 

You accidentally blinked.

 

 

And now you were sitting at a computer desk, in a big office, humans and monsters all dressed in work attire busying around and carrying things.

 

 

"FUCK!" you said very loudly, on the border of yelling.

 

 

Many of the people around you stopped and looked at you, some in horror, some in confusion.

 

 

A particularly important looking monster came up to you, and started speaking.

 

 

"______, I know you are stressed, but cursing that loudly is a distraction to every-"

 

 

But before they could finish they turned to darkness.

 

 

You immediately put your hands to your eyelids and peeled them open.

 

 

"NOPE. AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN THIS TIME, DREAM. NOT TODAY."

 

 

You looked around hurriedly, and this time you saw a light, flashing in the darkness. You tried to walk towards it.

 

 

 

It was a screen, flashing with so many images so quickly that you couldn't recognize it.

 

 

"HEY!" You screamed at it, hoping to give some sort of response.

 

 

The images stopped.

 

 

In their place was a computer screen, with a blinking black cursor on a field of white.

 

 

Your eyes hurt from being non-blinking so long.

 

 

"CAN YOU HEAR ME? AND CAN YOU LET ME JUST BLINK FOR GOD'S SAKE?"

 

 

It began typing.

 

 

Oh, god, sorry, I didn't - yeah, go ahead and blink. You won't switch.

 

 

You let your hands come down and you slowly, blissfully blinked your sore eyes.

And when you opened them again, there was the cursor again, a line down after its initial text.

"THANK YOU." You sighed angrily.

 

"Are you responsible for this freakish-dream thing?"

 

 

It typed.

 

Yeah! Though, I didn't mean for you to be awake for it.... whoops. Sorry! (shrug)

 

 

"Awake for WHAT, EXACTLY?" You huffed.

 

 

Brainstorming.

 

 

"'Brainstorming'? You mean, making my dream a fucked-up mess?!"

 

 

Sorry, I had to write stuff down somewhere, though I don't know how you got ahold of it....

 

 

 

You stared at the screen, and pressed your hands to your forehead in disbelief.

"This is the most confusing dream I've ever had."

 

 

It typed, quickly.

 

 

I can imagine! Literally. I get it. But don't worry, I'll make it so you won't remember it.

 

 

"And you.... can make that happen?" You didn't believe this strange cursor thing.

 

 

You bet. I can make a lot of things happen. :D

 

 

You grew a bit afraid.

 

 

But don't worry, I have a lot of fun ideas.

 

 

"Ideas?! 'FUN'?! What ARE you?!"

 

 

It hesitated, the cursor blinking slowly a few times before moving.

 

 

I..... am words. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

 

"What does that even mean?!" You sat down on the ground, not trusting your legs to continue to support you.

 

 

Don't worry about it. This whole encounter was just a mistake on my part- you'll resume your normal life soon, don't worry.

 

 

 

"After THIS I don't even know what normal IS!" You shouted angrily, your head hurting from all this complex vagueness.

 

 

Oh, just go to sleep, ______. You need your rest for tomorrow, after all. Lots of people are cheering you on.

 

 

 

Your jaw could not drop any further.

"What does that even....." You gave up mid sentence, realizing how pointless it was.

You began to feel tired.

 

 

 

Oh, and ______?

 

 

 

You felt your eyes hazily close, but pried them open a bit to see the cursor type out its next words.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APRIL FOOLS!!!!!! XD

[* A song plays, entirely composed of memes and annoying dog barks*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8veTn8YZ0_E)

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Notice, chapter not entirely cannon.*


	4. *Author's Note*- Business of Life

Hey everyone!

 

I'm very, very sorry to say this, but I have to be on hiatus for a few weeks now- I know I haven't posted much lately, but I really have a lot of work to do.

 

School, business, life.... and a new romantic interest.....

 

I'm doing well, I just have to focus on life right now. I may be back in a few weeks, but more likely, months.

 

I hope you all have great weeks! Follow your dreams, all!

 

Best,

WTEB


	5. The Significance of Others

 

 

 

"Dear GOD woman, what happened?"

 

 

 

You sighed into your phone's microphone. "I just fell up the stairs a bit, no big deal. But it'll be a while before I'm back at work."

 

Sophie had, of course, called as soon as she heard you were home sick. Er, injured. As your best work friend and confidant, she made it clear that she wanted to know when things were happening in your life. Things as simple as sick days.

 

Or... as life-changing as traveling through time and space.

 

 

But... you likely couldn't tell her that.

 

It made you slightly sad.

 

 

"Well, in that case, I'm gonna have to come visit to check up on you. Is anyone taking care of you? Don't tell me you're alone and injured, that's no good..."

 

"Nah, I've got a .... a friend taking care of me." You glance out your door at Gaster, who is washing some glasses and dishes in the sink. You can tell he is focused, but clearly is paying attention to your emotions.

 

"A friend, huh? Someone I know?..." She pauses. "Is it Sans? He wasn't at work today either. Could it be... you two are...." The insinuation in her voice was clear as day.

 

"NOPE."

 

You heard a fork clatter in the metal of the sink. You look out to see Gaster make a grimace as he fumbled to pick it back up. You could feel him send an apologetic feeling. No doubt he was shocked by your mind state change.

 

You continued. "Sans and I are just friends. And, uh, he was with me when I fell so, he was checking up. But no, a different friend... you haven't met him."

 

Sophie hummed. "Mmhm. And is he with your injured self now?"

 

You nodded, and then remembered you were on the phone. "Yep."

 

"And was he all day?"

 

"..... yes..."

 

"I seee _eeeee_..." Her voice was once again full of insinuation.

 

You held your forehead in your hand. You could feel yourself blushing. Gaster probably could too.

 

"Well, since you are silent, I will take that as a form of answer. And I look forward to meeting this 'friend'. Will you still be home-bound tomorrow after work?"

 

"Yep."

 

"Wonderful. And will.... "

 

"YES, he'll be here too."

 

"Are the two of you dating, by any chance?"

 

" _SOPHIE_." Your face was hot.

 

"Wha _aaaat_ , I just want to know..."

 

You hazarded a glance out your door to look for Gaster, but he wasn't within your vision. You could feel he was flustered too, wherever he was.

"... it's... more complicated than that, but... kinda."

 

"Excellent!" You heard a small, muffled shriek from the phone. "I most definitely look forward to seeing the two of you tomorrow then."

 

You sighed, your face returning to its normal state. "Me too, Soph'. I've... missed you."

 

"Girl, it's been like, two days."

 

 

Right. For the rest of the world, it was.

 

 

"It feels like it's been longer, though, you know? Being bed-ridden?"

 

"Sure, sure. But anyways, I'll leave you to your evening. Catch you tomorrow, hm?"

 

You smiled at the phone. "Yep. Have a good night, Soph'."

 

"You too, _____. But not _too good_ of a night. You're still injured remember?"

 

"AAUGH, NO. GOODNIGHT." Your face was once again on fire.

 

You heard her laugh hysterically. "Love ya!" *click*

 

And with an exasperated noise, you dropped your phone down on the bed with a thud. Your hands immediately went to hold your flushed face.

 

You heard a knocking at your open door, and turned to see a tall, pale man in a black turtleneck stand in the threshold.

 

 

"Everything.... ok?" He asked, his own voice a bit quiet. He wore a kind of sheepish, flustered smile. Of course, he would have felt your emotional upheavals.

 

"That was my friend Sophie, from work. Remember her?"

 

Gaster nodded.

 

"Well, she's coming over tomorrow to visit, after hearing that I 'fell down some stairs'." You did air quotes.

 

"And... is that all the conversation entailed?" He raised his eyebrows curiously, albeit shyly.

 

You grimaced. "Let's just say she looks forward to meeting you as well."

 

Gaster smiled. "Ah, she knows of my presence then...." He walked in the room. You took a moment to remember just how ridiculously tall he was. He was barely under the doorframe.

 

He sat on the bed in front of you, looking back out the doorway.

 

"Yes, she knows of you. And she... knows about our...."

 

Gaster looked at you curiously. "Our...?"

 

You made a frustrated smile. "I don't know what monsters call it, but humans have a million different terms that all mean different things, and I just really don't know what word we are..."

 

His white eyes regarded you calmly. You also took this moment to appreciate how handsome he was.

He put his hand to his chin.

"Monsters call the pursuit of a romantic relationship 'courting', but if humans have a different set of terms, then I would most certainly like to hear them..."

 

You snorted. "'Courting'? That's so.... " You thought about it.

Well, if monsters did separate from the surface hundreds of years ago, then likely they may have maintained the same terms for dating throughout the years...

"It actually makes sense, if you're hundreds of years behind on the lingo." You smirked at him.

 

He shrugged. "Hundreds of years, plus and extra few in the void, so call me outdated."

 

You shoved his shoulder playfully. "You're not outdated, you goofball. You're great."

 

He gave a little smile and blushed. "You are also very great, _____."

 

You grinned sheepishly, and waved it off.

 

"But... about the human terminologies..." he reminded you.

 

"RIGHT." You straightened your posture against the pillows. It was amazing how distracted the two of you could get....

 

"Well, for humans, there's like, a spectrum of dating. Like, first there's crush, when you don't even know if the person likes you, then it's like romantic interest, dating, boyfriend/girlfriend, 'seeing each other', lovers, significant others... the list goes on forever."

 

Gaster's eyes widened at each new word.

"Is there some sort of chart, or guideline for this?"

 

You laughed. "I wish there was. I don't think any relationship is simple enough for a chart, though."

 

He considered this, hand on chin, pensively.

"Then.... what would you define us as?"

 

You adjusted you legs, and rested your arms on top your thighs.

"Well.... it's pretty clear that we both have feelings for each other, and ... we've got this special emotion-sharing case... and you're... kinda living with me at this point..."

 

Gaster's eyes went wide. "I don't mean to intrude, I just want to make sure you heal properly, and I can find a place to live, surely, so I won't be a both-"

 

"Gast." Your face was calm, and you looked up at him and touched his shoulder.

"We've been sharing the same body for weeks, and that was ok. What makes you think that I wouldn't share my apartment with you?"

 

You had a small thought. It made you a bit sad to consider, and you looked down at the bed. "That is... if you... would want to stay with me..."

 

 

This time, Gaster reached for you. He held your other hand in his. You looked up to his sweet smile.

"I would be honored to live with you."

 

You smiled up at him.

 

"And, it would seem, that if the idea of me not living here made you sad, then, I simply could not do with that."

 

"Right, you can feel all of that, can't you?" You laughed lightly, and squeezed his hand a bit.

 

He chuckled too. You were both blushing a bit, him glowing across his face.

 

"We can't hide much from each other, as we know by this point."

 

"Truth." You nodded.

 

"But... seriously. What are we gonna call.... us?"

 

Gaster rubbed his thumb against the side of your hand.

 

"I thought the sound of 'lovers' was accurate..."

 

 

This time, your eyes went wide.

 

 

 

_Hooooo boyyyyyy...._

 

 

Gaster immediately caught your emotional wave, and sent you a look of questioning.

 

 

"Gast, uh... 'lovers' tends to mean.... something very.... sexual...."

 

 

His eyes opened wide as well. "Oh."

 

You cleared your throat. "Not that.... uh.... we... can't... be...? But.... for our current state..."

 

 

He nodded in agreement. "Perhaps another term is best, then."

 

 

You nodded intently. "But which...?"

 

 

Gaster hummed in thought. You stared across the room.

 

Then it hit you.

 

 

"Well, I'd say you're the most significant 'other' in my life, I'll tell you that..."

 

 

He looked back at you, eyes hopeful. "I would say that as well, most definitely."

 

You took both of your hands and held his one large one.

 

 

"Well, I think that solves that problem, then."

 

 

He smiled, and brought his other hand to rest on top of yours and his.

 

 

"It would seem so, ______."

 

 

He raised your hands, and slowly (or perhaps it seemed slow only to you), he brought his face down, and kissed the back of your hand.

 

 

And the two of you smiled at each other, blushing madly, as the evening light from your window grew dimmer and dimmer still.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back! Fluff season is in full force.
> 
> Workload is ending, life is changing... ya know, standard life stuff.  
> I actually have time to have a life this week, so, woo!  
> I'm going to make it a goal to publish a chapter of every work every two weeks, ideally. Maybe more, hopefully not less.
> 
> In regards to life, it's going kinda rocky right now, despite the work load decrease. The thing with the new romantic interest has... fizzled out. Not in a bad way, we're still friends, but... it's less than I was hoping for now.
> 
> But, I resolve, it will not get me down. I am still determined.
> 
> And thank you all for the kind wishes- they kept me goin'.
> 
> Happy reading, and I hope you all are enjoying spring!


	6. Tea for Two

 

 

 

"Would you like it if I made some tea?"

 

 

 

You looked up from your hands enveloped in his, smiling bashfully.

 

"Of course I would. I didn't know you were a tea fan."

 

 

Gaster laughed lightly. "Apart from the King, I was probably the second one most responsible for the tea industry's business in the underground."

 

 

You grinned at that. "I've got a bunch of kinds, feel free to them all."

You then began to question how there was a tea industry at all in an underground cavern. Then you remembered- magic.

 

Gaster smiled, and gently placed your hands back on the bed, releasing them from his grasp. He stood up, and looked back down at you.

"Would you like to join me in the kitchen?" He offered his pale, holed hand.

 

You smiled, and took it, unfolding your legs from the seated position you had in bed.

"Of course."

 

He helped you up, and then guided you gently to the door, placing his other arm around and on your opposite shoulder.

 

Your body didn't ache nearly as much now, but it did still kinda feel like you had exercised recently and your muscles were sore.

 

You sat yourself down in a kitchen stool at the island and shoed him away so he could make tea.

 

You studied him carefully, regarding his movements.

He stood at the sink, looking down.... and then spun, opening a cabinet to find a semi-used tea kettle, which he then began filling with water.

 

It seemed he knew where everything in your house was already. Which, given the two of you sharing custody of a body, he might have a few of your memories and knowledge of your household.

 

He turned, and put the kettle on the burner. A summoned hand appeared, and opened another cabinet, that hand and his others picking up and examining boxes of tea.

 

You studied him- he was thoughtful, concise, and measured in every move. You marveled at how a being like him could exist.

 

 

"Your preference, _____?" He quirked an eyebrow at you.

 

 

In the dim light cast in your apartment, you gave a small smile.

"I'll have what you're having."

 

 

He smiled softly back, and delicately lifted two tea bags out of one of the boxes. You recognized it as a hibiscus blend you bought a few weeks (months?) ago.

 

 

You sighed softly.

 

This moment... it needed.... something...

 

Ah.

 

"I'll be right back..." You gently slid off the stool.

 

 

"Will you be alright?"

 

 

You smirked, heading towards the window in your hallway. You gave a very sure "I'll be fine" emotion back to him in response, and you felt an amused "ok".

 

You reached the window, and your hands reached for the lock. Tugging the pane upwards, you felt the cool of the night air against your skin, and you set your sights upwards to the sky.

 

The stars were twinkling, and the sky was surprisingly clear for a city night.

 

This was what tonight needed.

 

 

In the distance, you heard your kettle begin to boil, and a soft click as Gaster turned off the burner and poured water into mugs.

 

You abandoned the ajar window and walked back into the kitchen. Gaster slowly turned to face you, a mug of tea in each hand, steaming. His face was content, with a bit of a curious raise in his eyebrow.

 

 

"I can feel you have an idea, _____."

 

 

You grinned madly. "No surprises between us ever, I guess then. Can you hold my mug for a sec?" You fumbled in the basket in which you kept your keys.

 

 

"If there's one thing I'm good at, it's holding things." He laughed a bit.

 

 

"Found it."

You grabbed the swipe card you were looking for, as well as your apartment keys, and turned back to him.

 

 

"If you don't mind holding that a bit longer, I have something to show you."

 

 

 

 

\-------

 

 

 

 

 

In a short while, the two of you were walking into the elevator car of your building. Gaster still carried your two steaming mugs, one your favorite, the other, a tall, white minimalist one he clearly had taken to.

 

 

On the panel of the elevator, you reached for the uppermost button. As you pressed it, the light came on, the doors shut, and then went out.

 

"Right," you audibly reminded yourself, that was what the swipe was for.

 

You fumbled to get the plastic card in the right orientation, slid it through the card reader, and pressed the button again, which lit up. The car began to move.

 

"Headed to the top floor, are we?"

 

 

You smiled up at him. "Something like that."

 

You looked over to see the mugs, a little below your eyeline.

 

"Oh, I can take mine now, thanks for waiting so long..."

 

He smiled, and reached yours out, grabbing it softly with a conjured hand to readjust so you could grab the handle.

"Were you trying to see how long I could handle it?"

 

 

You delicately took the hot cup.

"Well, I knew you were ...."

 

You felt an insistent shove, as if he was pointing out something you missed.

 

It felt just like-

 

 

You looked at the handle of your cup, and then at his gleaming face. You could swear you saw his eye sparkle a bit.

 

 

_Handle._ It.

 

You narrowed your eyes at him, grinning.

"Oh, Gast, you _are_ getting good at those subtle puns."

 

 

In that perfect moment, the elevator doors slid open, and the two of you stepped out, he, politely, after you.

 

Shoving your keys and card into your pocket, you led him to the door at the end of the short hall.

 

 

"Gast, get ready for the best-kept secret of my apartment building."

 

"I swear to secrecy." He crossed his fingers in front of his chest.

 

You giggled at bit at that, before opening the door, and steadying your tea in your other hand.

 

Cool air rushed past the two of you, sending the tea's steam billowing.

 

Before the two of you lie the roof- a mostly-empty expanse of concrete decking, cheap guard rails, and a few pieces of uncomfortable all-weather lawn chairs.

 

Beyond that lie the city, glowing in the electric lights.

 

And above it....

 

 

 

The night sky, full of twinkling stars.

 

Which was, naturally, what Gaster was now staring at.

 

 

You stepped out onto the roof, followed by him, mouth agape. You looked around.

 

 

"I remembered while you were making tea that you spent all your time since being whole with me, and that you never got to see the sky, for real. I figured it would be nice to..."

 

 

You looked back at him, and, for a moment, he seemed lost. He had the expression and emotion of a child seeing something for the first time. He was looking up, the white lights of his eyes darting across the dark expanse.

 

 

 

He stayed like this, his coat gently tossed by the wind, his eyes gleaming with wonder, for several moments. It could have been seconds, or minutes, or hours, you didn't know.

 

 

To you, it was the most moving thing you had seen in a long, long time, maybe ever. And you let him be.

 

 

 

And he finally found words, and spoke, still staring at the sky.

 

 

"You'd think... after traveling with you in space... that this wouldn't move me in such a way."

 

He finally looked down at you, and you could see his eyes glow with tear-like blurriness.

 

 

 

You stepped closer to him, and silently took his hand in yours. You led him to the only two-person bench, made of smooth, hard plastic, and sat down with him.

 

The two of you sat in silence, both finding words.

 

 

 

"I..."

 

You spoke first, trying to fill in the emptiness with what you were feeling.

 

"I've never been more proud of- no, not proud... glad... to do something than what I did these past few weeks."

 

 

Tears welled up in your eyes, and emotion in your chest. In his soul, you could feel the same, threatening to overflow.

 

You sat your tea down on the armrest.

 

 

 

"_____, I ... you..."

 

He couldn't finish.

 

 

 

You laughed a single breath, and moved a hand to your forehead in disgrace.

 

"We suck at this words thing, huh?"

 

 

He leaned his head back against the plastic.

"I would say so."

 

 

You too leaned your head against the plastic. The steam from the tea drifted in the wind, illuminated by the lights of the city.

 

 

You suddenly felt his hand reach for yours, and the two intertwined. He gave yours a gentle squeeze, and you squeezed back.

 

"_____, I feel like I've known you for decades, but it's only been weeks, and I can't understand why out of all the people in this universe, how you and I were linked in the beginning, but what I do know is that I am infinitely grateful that you exist, and that you are here, and that-"

 

"Gast, please don't forget to breathe..."

 

You looked to him, and he hastily looked to you, nervously.

 

 

"What's there to be nervous about?" you asked. You gestured to the city. "If it's just you and me, up here on this roof, in this time, sharing everything, having shared a body, knowing that we love each other, how come both of us are so scared?" Tears threatened at the corners of your eyes.

 

"I haven't the foggiest idea..." He looked at his hand, still holding his mug, resting on the opposite armrest.

 

 

The two of you sat, regarding the night sky, and the ambiance of the city. The seat you sat on was hard and uncomfortable, but you knew there was nowhere you'd rather be in this moment.

 

 

You finally thought of some words to say.

 

 

"I'm glad you like the night sky. And I did figure it probably would be better in person rather than through my eyes."

 

 

You felt him turn to look at you, but you kept staring out, knowing that it would be harder to say without crying looking at him.

 

 

"And I can't help but feel like I'm the luckiest person alive to both have you in my life and to have helped return you to yours."

 

And then, as if cued, the tears came. You were powerless as your vision streaked into incomprehensible blurs of light.

 

 

 

 

Gaster spoke.

 

"It seems this time that I'm not the first one to start-"

 

You elbowed him.

 

"Ouch..." He laughed at that.

 

"But.... in all seriousness..."

 

He inhaled, and looked up into the sky.

 

 

"I gave up on ever coming back, not that long into existing in the void. Not just because I felt horrible about the evils I had committed, but because I had never managed to break the barrier.

I was a failure- and if my work had failed, I had failed. I had nothing to tie myself to any longer. I had no family- I had friends, sure, but my work consumed me.

I had never taken the time to let myself be tied to anyone."

 

 

He paused there, and sighed.

 

"I've never understood someone the way I've come to understand you, _____."

 

 

"I feel the same, way, Gast. And I don't think... it's just because of the magical soul-bonding."

 

 

He turned his neck towards you, and you leaned into him, squeezing his hand.

 

 

"I've come to know pretty much every facet of your soul, and I think you're really amazing.

And I can tell that you've kinda done the same. And that maybe, you feel the same. Which is... mind blowing."

 

You just resigned yourself to having blurry vision and feeling hot tears run down your cheeks.

 

 

 

He spoke up again.

 

"As beautiful as the night sky and the stars are, _____, they aren't really a match for you."

 

 

You immediately looked up to see his white-blushing face smiling down at yours.

 

"And every facet of you- every feature and flaw- is what makes you that."

 

 

 

 

After a few moments of staring into his eyes, you managed to speak.

 

"I didn't know I could ever be as happy as I am right now."

 

 

He leaned his head down and touched his forehead to the top of yours.

 

"Neither could I."

His voice reverberated through you. His emotions rang like a bell through your own, echoing yours.

 

 

 

 

"Gaster, lean down here a bit further."

 

 

He lifted his forehead, and then bent down a bit, smiling, eyebrows raised in a loving smile.

 

 

You breathed out, a bit shakily, and closed your eyes.

 

You leaned into him, and brushed your lips against his.

 

 

 

And in that moment....

 

 

 

 

All was perfect in this universe, and in every other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even if your tea was cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ᕕᕕᕕᕕᕕᕕᕕᕕᕕᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
> 
>  
> 
> Guess who's back.  
> (It's me, your worst friend, who just now got the gumption to write this.)
> 
>  
> 
> Keep your puns close and your tea cold, folks.
> 
> Hand in Hand will (hopefully) be back up and posting semi-regularly.
> 
>  
> 
> Love you all dearly, and hope you had a wonderful summer,  
> WTEB


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